Workflow to first time website visitor

[dwightbailey]

I am setting up a workflow to send an email to a contact that visits our website for the first time.

Where do I find enrollment criteria to enable this?

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hey @dwightbailey,

I would approach this with an exclusion list:

Have you considered that most first time visitors do not have a contact record yet and can't enroll in this workflow?

I'd also like to share a tip for testing workflows like these before setting them live: Instead of triggering the action that you have in mind, add a step that sends an internal notification to you. That allows you to keep an eye on live workflow activity and check contact records if needed. Once you're convinced that it's working nicely and enrolling the correct contacts, you can replace the internal notification with the actual step.

Hope this helps!

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hey @dwightbailey,

I would approach this with an exclusion list:

Have you considered that most first time visitors do not have a contact record yet and can't enroll in this workflow?

I'd also like to share a tip for testing workflows like these before setting them live: Instead of triggering the action that you have in mind, add a step that sends an internal notification to you. That allows you to keep an eye on live workflow activity and check contact records if needed. Once you're convinced that it's working nicely and enrolling the correct contacts, you can replace the internal notification with the actual step.

Hope this helps!

[dwightbailey]

Hello - yes this makes sense; thank you.

Question though - if I create a list that's based on "number of sessions is greater than 1" - is a session a website visit regardless of pages viewed? I want to send the email to a visitor that's been for the first time (assuming we are tracking them) even if their first session they view 20 pages.

Secondly, how do I create the list based on number of sessions? I can onyl see the option for number of page views.

Thanks for your help.

[karstenkoehler · Accepted solution]

Hi @dwightbailey,

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@dwightbailey wrote:

Question though - if I create a list that's based on "number of sessions is greater than 1" - is a session a website visit regardless of pages viewed? I want to send the email to a visitor that's been for the first time (assuming we are tracking them) even if their first session they view 20 pages.

That shouldn't be an issue if re-enrollment is disabled. If it's their first session, an email will be triggered. If it's their second, it won't. If they view multiple pages during their first session, the email would still only be sent once.

Regarding your second question, Number of sessions can be found under Contact properties, not Page views.

(I might be missing some context but I'm still not convinced this workflow would be useful. For net new contacts, this workflow would send an email not when they first visit the page but when they submit their first form – since HubSpot can't send the email earlier than that. Same for imported contacts who haven't submitted a website form and accepted your cookies yet. These contacts might sit in your CRM, receive marketing emails already and once they visit your page for the first time and submit a form, this email would be triggered.)

Best regards!

[dwightbailey]

Many thanks @Anonymous 

Yes we have a CRM full of contacts that we are nurturing - goal is to get them on the website. Once on, the site the next goal is to get them to fill in a form. At the point they accept cookie tracking we want to know about that first time - HubSpot then will send them an intro email etc.

I have managed to set up the workflow using exclusions now as you suggested and have applied your tip of setting an action that enables me to monitor whether its working or not.

All good - thanks for your help.